Chicken Mushroom Fettuccine Alfredo

My sister recently gifted me a packet of dried fettuccine pasta which she lugged back all the way from Italy. Instead of turning to my usual bolognese sauce (which I make by the gazillion and store in the freezer), I thought of making something new for the hub instead. I tried making an alfredo once, it was too creamy and heavy that the hub didn't enjoy it at all. This time round, I cut down on the portion of the diary products and it turned out absolutely delicious! I ain't sure if this is even an authentic alfredo recipe but it sure taste good. 

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 portions of fettuccine, penne or spaghetti 

1 packet chicken fillet or chicken breast 

1 packet button mushroom, sliced 

1 small onion, diced 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded 

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tablespoon flour 

3 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter 

Salt

Pepper

Parsley 

Method:

- Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to packet instructions. Drain and set aside, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. 

- Season the chicken fillet or breast with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium high heat. Pan fry the chicken until fully cooked. Slice into bite size and set aside. 

- Using the same skillet, add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Add in the minced onion and cook until the onion turn transparent. Add in 2 cloves of garlic and stir for a minute or so. 

- Add in the sliced mushroom and fry for another 3 - 4 minutes until mushrooms are soft. Add in 1/2 tablespoon of flour and stir for another minute or so. 

- Add in the sliced chicken and milk. Season with salt and pepper. The sauce will be rather thick which you can thin by adding the reserved pasta water. 

- Mix in the cooked pasta and parmesan cheese. Garnish with parsley and serve with more parmesan cheese if desired. 

Air Fryer Recipe - Lemongrass Chicken Wings

I love air frying my chicken wings because the skin always turned out crispy and the meat tender and juicy. I don't know how the hot air circulating in the machine did this but this beats deep frying chicken wings anytime, in my own opinion that is. 

Drawing inspiration from some nice Thai food I had a week ago, I decided to experiment using some common ingredients found in Thai cuisine - lemongrass and fish sauce. I was pleasantly surprised by the results given the little ingredients this dish requires! The hubs loved it so much that he requested that I marinate a kilogram of these in the fridge so that he can air fry it himself whenever he wants. 

Serves 2, or 3 

Ingredients:

6                       chicken wings 

3 stalks             lemon grass

3 cloves            garlic

2 tablespoon     fish sauce

1 tablespoon     honey 

                         ground white pepper 

Method: 

- Remove the outer skin of the lemongrass. Bruise it using the back of a knife or a pestle. Chop the lemongrass and garlic roughly. 

- Place all ingredients together in a ziplock bag and marinate overnight. 

- Take the chicken wings out from the bag, removing any excess aromatics that may be stuck on it. 

- Air fry for 15 - 20 minutes at 160 degree celsius, turning the wings once half way. 

- Serve with some Thai chilli sauce, if preferred. 

Chicken Salad with Grapes and Walnut

I chanced upon this highly raved recipe online and thought that I could give it a try (with some slight modifications to the recipe) since I have all the ingredients available. I was initially skeptical about how good this can taste given its simple ingredients, and was proven so wrong. I'll be straightforward here. This has gotta be one of the best chicken salads I've tasted! The addition of celery made this salad so refreshing despite the huge amount of mayonnaise used. The worchestershire sauce also gave this otherwise heavy taste an extra kick. So good that I'll sure be remaking this very often!


Ingredients:

1 piece - chicken breast, poached and cubed
20 - seedless grapes, halved
2 tablespoons - mayonnaise
1 teaspoon - worchestershire sauce
3 stalks - celery, chopped finely
1 small - red onion, minced
1 handful - walnut, broken into smaller pieces

Method:

Mix the chicken breast, grapes, celery, onion, mayonnaise and worchestershire sauce. Place in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight for the flavours to blend together.

Top with walnuts when ready to serve. Best served with a loaf of nicely toasted baguette.

Sesame Oil Chicken Mee Sua

I am an absolute fan of sesame oil chicken. A popular dish during the confinement period, this dish
contains a lot of ginger which warms the body and drives out wind. As for me, this is pure comfort food, especially with a bowl of plain porridge. I love this so much that I've decided to create a mee sua soup dish out of it. Here's sharing with you that recipe:

Serves 2
Ingredients:

1/2                      chicken, cut into pieces
2 thumbsize       old ginger, julienned
2 tablespoons     sesame oil
1 tablespoon      light soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon   dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons     chinese cooking wine
3 cups                water (add in only 1/2 cup of water if you are making sesame oil chicken)

Method:

Heat a pot on high heat with 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Add in the julienned ginger and stir fry till the ginger turns golden brown and fragrant.

Add in the chicken pieces and stir fry till the chicken pieces are browned on the outside. Add in 2 tablespoons of Chinese cooking wine and let it sizzle for about 20 seconds.

Add in the dark, light soy sauce and stir to mix well. Add in the water and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Serve with mee sua which has been blanched in boiling water for 30 seconds.

Steamed Chicken with D.O.M and Red Dates

I've been receiving comments recently about my rosy cheeks. I used to look pretty pale, if not for my superb make up skills. These days, I've gained a hint of pink on my face that I actually look ok without having any make up on. This new found glow, I have to credit all the tonic soups and nourishing food that I've been feeding the Hub and myself these recent months. I know that they say that certain food are meant for women only but I guess a little won't harm the man either. I've done extensive research and found out that certain supposedly 'women herbs' are actually beneficial to men too. I am still a little cautious and only fed the man a third of my portion instead. (It is a relatively good excuse to look better than him). Here is one of these recipes which uses D.O.M. benedictine, a herbal liqueur which is known for its nourishing properties. You can also drink this straight up, after mixing with a little warm water.


Ingredients:

1/2                          Chicken, chopped into pieces (I actually used 3 chicken wings instead)
5 large                    Red dates, pitted and cut into pieces
1 tablespoon           Wolfberries, rinsed
3                             Chinese mushroom, soaked and cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon           Salt
1 tablespoon           Sesame oil
3 tablespoons          D.O.M. Benedictine

Method:

Mix chicken with salt and arrange on a steaming plate. Scatter red dates, wolfberries and Chinese mushroom on top. Drizzle a tablespoon of sesame oil and 3 tablespoons of D.O.M over the dish. Steamed over medium heat for 20 minutes.

Cobb Salad, my way.

It's not exactly fair to call this a salad. At least to me, salads are supposed to be healthy and light and all. A cobb salad, despite its name, is made using ingredients that are technically, WAY too delicious to be included in a bland and boring healthy salad. Then again, who says all salads are supposed to be bland and healthy anyway? Healthy or not, I for one, don't really care and just adore this sinful and fulfilling recipe of mine. 

Serves 2 

Ingredients:

Salad: 

1 head                       romaine lettuce, chopped roughly 

1                               tomato, diced

2                               hard boiled egg, shelled and chopped 

1                               avocado, diced 

100gm                      blue cheese, diced 

6 strips                     bacon, fried till crisp and cut into smaller pieces 

1                               roasted chicken breast, diced 

Method: Arrange everything on a salad bowl or plate and serve with the dressing below or your favourite dressing. 

Dressing: 

1/2 cup                      extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons            white wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon              dijon mustard 

1/2 teaspoon              worcestershire sauce 

1/2 tablespoon           lemon juice 

                                   salt & pepper 

Method:

Whisk all the ingredients together and serve with the salad.

Easy Chicken Rice (Cheat's Method)

My sincerest apologies for the long hiatus. Work has been crazy hectic, I do not even wish to start talking about it here now. Let's divert our attention instead, to the awesome recipe that I'm about to share with you.

Throughout my life, I have been blessed to have met many food critics (I meant like, the professional kind), mainly due to my previous job as a hotel PR. I am even luckier to be able to consider some of them as my friends. They are the ones who will bring me along for media tasting, feed me with the latest happening on the restaurant scene and of course, share wonderful recipes.

Today's recipe is one that was shared by one of them. The fact that she tries this out at home, I'm pretty sure it must be quite a gem. Lest the misconception that chicken rice are usually heavily loaded with fats and calories, this recipe is a much healthier version and even better, much much simpler as well. I've cooked it several times now and if the picky bf of mine is satisfied with this, then it must be a good to go!


Serves 2
Ingredients

3 - 4                               chicken thigh (I removed the skin and fats for a healthier version)
1 cup                              long grain rice, washed and drained
4 cloves                          garlic, minced
5 - 6                                shallots, sliced thinly
4 slices                           ginger
1 tablespoon                   cooking oil
2                                     pandan leaves, tied into a knot
                                       sea salt
                                       water
                                       sesame oil
                                       light soy sauce

Method:

Marinate the chicken thigh with a few pinches of salt and set aside for 30 minutes.

Heat the frying pan with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil on medium high heat. Add in the minced garlic and sliced shallots and fry till they are both golden brown.

Add in the rice and stir evenly to coat the rice with the oil.

Dissolve 1/2 tablespoon of sea salt into 1 cup of water and pour into the frying pan.

Turn the heat to the lowest mode and top the rice with the marinated chicken thigh, ginger slices and knotted pandan leaves.

Cover and let it cook for 20 minutes. Feel free to add a little more water if it's too dry.

Drizzle the rice with a little sesame oil and light soy sauce and serve.

Shark's Bone Cartilage Soup

 

I know the environmentalists are gonna frown at me but still, I have to admit that Shark's Bone Soup is one of my all time favourite soups, even more than the expensive shark's fin. Then again, I was never a fan of the ubiquitous shark's fin soup to begin with. Lest the common perception that this is another version of a shark's fin soup, you will be surpised to know that it has absolutely no shark's fin in it. All you get is a thick milky gelatinous soup that is packed with all the collagen extracted from the shark's bone after hours and hours of brewing. Don't ask me why I like this, I just enjoy that sticky aftertaste in my mouth, evidence of a collagen overload.

 

Ingredients:

 

1                        chicken carcasse, blanched

1 packet             pork shank, blanched

10                      chicken feet, blanched

1 thumbsized    Jin Hua ham, diced 

1 piece              dried tangerine peel

1 tablespoon     white peppercorn

5 pieces            large sharks soft bone

3 slices             old ginger 

1 tablespoon     wolfberries, rinsed

 

Method:

 

Place all ingredients except the wolfberries in a large stock pot and place in 4 litres of water. Bring to boil.

 

Lower heat and simmer for a good 4 hours covered, stirring constantly to ensure that the ingredients do not stick to the bottom of the pot. Add in more water if required.

 

After 4 hours, what you should get is a thick milky gelatinous consistency. Add in the wolfberries and cook for another minute or so before serving.

 

 

Salted Fish, Chicken & Lup Cheong Claypot Rice

 

I've recently managed to lay my hands on some good quality salted fish and decided that the best dish to bring out that savoury goodness is through a pot of good old traditional claypot rice. A warning though, to open all your windows and keep all your clothes if you don't want the house smelling of this distinct 'aroma'. I personally like my claypot rice full of the salted fish taste but do cut back according to your preference.

 

Serves 2

Ingredients:

 

1.5 cups                           long grain rice, washed and drained

2 tablespoons                  cooking oil

1 thumbsized                  old ginger, julienned

1                                      waxed sausage (lup cheong), sliced

2 thumbsized                   salted fish, washed lightly, diced

1                                      boneless chicken leg or 1/4 chicken, cut into smaller pieces

3 stalks                            green vegetables (siew pak choy or choy sum), washed

1 tablespoon                    dark soy sauce (2 tablespoons if you prefer it darker)

1 tablespoon                    light soy sauce

 

Marinade for chicken:

 

1 tablespoon                    oyster sauce

1 tablespoon                    light soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon                 sugar

1/2 teaspoon                    sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon                    ground white pepper

1 tablespoon                    Chinese wine

1 tablespoon                    corn starch

 

 

Method:

 

Marinate the chicken with marinade ingredients and set aside in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

 

Heat a claypot with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Add in the diced salted fish and fry till fragrant. Remove the fried salted fish, leaving the oil behind in the claypot.

 

Add in the washed rice and stir to ensure that the rice is evenly mixed with the oil. Add in 1.5 cups of water and bring to boil, uncovered.

 

Add in the marinated chicken on one side of the claypot, making sure not to stack them so they will cook evenly. Top the chicken with some julienned ginger. Sprinkle the waxed sausage on the other side of the claypot. Cover and cook on low heat.

 

After 5 minutes, add the green vegeables on top of the meat and cover, cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes on high heat.

 

Remove the claypot from heat, sprinkle the fried salted fish on top. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce and mix evenly with a rice spatula.

Casear Salad with Wholemeal Croutons

 

I couldn't make up my mind on what to eat for dinner one evening that I decided to make do with a simple salad. A simple salad doesn't necessarily means I have to succumb myself to a boring or blant dinner. I ran out of white bread and made do with my leftover wholemeal instead. It was nonetheless a healthy pleasant alternative. Alright, maybe not so healthy with all the butter that's been added but it was good I have to say.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 bunch                   lettuce, rinsed and dry

2 tablespoons          grated parmesan cheese

1/2                           roasted chicken breast, sliced or 5 slices of smoked salmon (optional)

 

For the croutons:

 

2 slices                     wholemeal bread or 1/2 small baguette, cut into cubes

1 tablespoon             butter

1/2 teaspoon             garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon             paprika

dash                          black pepper

 

For the dressing:

 

1 fillet                       anchovies in oil  

3 cloves                    garlic, minced

1/2 tablespoon          dijon mustard

1/2 tablespoon          vinegar

(I used red wine vinegar but you can also replace it with other vinegar except for cider or balsamic vinegar)

1 heap tablespoon     mayonnaise

4 tablespoons           extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tablespoon          lemon juice

                                  salt & pepper to season

 

 

Method:

 

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing thoroughly, making sure to mince the anchovy. Set aside.

 

Heat a small pan with a tablespoon of butter. Add in the cubed bread and sprinkle with garlic powder, black pepper and paprika. Toss them evenly until the bread turns crispy or golden brown for white bread.

 

Combine all other ingredients together, adding smoked salmon or roasted chicken breast if desired.

 

Shrimp Paste Chicken (Har Cheong Gai)

Shrimp Paste Chicken is one of the most popular dishes ordered in Tze Char stalls or Cantonese restaurants. I was invited for a potluck session recently and couldn't think of a better food to bring than a box of crispy fried chicken.  I've made 25 of them in total but only managed to bring 20 over (my sister couldn't keep her hands off them!). The trick to achieving that awesome crispiness is to fry the wings a second time on a super high heat before serving.

Ingredients:

20                           chicken mid wings
1 tablespoon           fermented red bean curd sauce (nan ru)
2 tablespoons         shrimp paste
1/2 tablespoon        sugar
2 tablespoons         Chinese wine
1 tablespoon           oyster sauce
1 tablespoon           ginger juice
3                             shallots, sliced
1/2 teaspoon           ground white pepper
                               corn flour or tapioca flour
                               Oil for frying

Method:

Mix all the ingredients ogether except for the flour. Set aside in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Heat the oil to a frying temperature. I will usually test the oil with a wooden chopstick. If bubbles are formed on the chopstick when you dip it in, the oil is ready to be used. Switch to medium heat.

Coat the marinated wings with corn or tapioca flour, pat off the excess and fry till light golden brown. Remove and set aside. Reheat the oil on high heat for another 1 to 2 minutes. Re fry the chicken wings on high heat for another minute or so to achieve that ultra cripsy texture.

Kung Pao Stir Fry Chicken

The mayhem is finally over at work and I can start pushing myself to blog about the long-due recipes. Don't get me wrong, I have been religiously cooking, just not blogging about it. Today's recipe is a simple kung pao stir fry, something that I managed to create with barely any ingredients left in the fridge. The key to the dish is to use a little black vinegar, to create that hint of tanginess in the dish.

Serves 2
Ingredients:

2                         boneless chicken thigh or chicken fillet, cubed
8                         dried chilli, washed and deseed
2 stalks               scallion, cut into 2 inch length
2 slices                old ginger
1 clove                garlic, minced
2 tablespoons      cashew nuts, roasted
1 tablespoon       cooking oil

Marinade for the chicken:

1 tablespoon      cornstarch
1 tablespoon      light soy sauce
1 tablespoon      chinese wine
1 teaspoon         cooking oil

Ingredients for the sauce mixture:

1 tablespoon     light soy sauce
1 teaspoon        dark soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon  sugar
1 teaspoon        cornstarch   
1/2 teaspoon     black vinegar
3 tablespoons   water

Method:

Marinate the cubed chicken with the sauce marinade and set aside for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a pan with 1 tablespoons of cooking oil. Add in the sliced ginger, minced garlic and fry till fragrant. Add in the dried chilli and fry until it smells spicy before adding the chicken.

Stir fry the chicken till 70% cooked and add in the cashewnuts and the sauce mixture. Continue frying until the sauce reduces and thickens. Turn off the heat and mix in the scallions before dishing out.

Garlicky Chicken

Tis' definitely the season to celebrate with good food, wine and your loved ones.  In my opinion, this chicken recipe is good enough to land itself a spot on that dining table this festive period. Don't get me wrong, this is not a Christmas recipe but a simple heartwarming dish by Nigella Lawson that will win the crowd over. The recipe calls for white wine or vermouth but I made do with my leftover Rose and it tasted just as good anyway.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 pieces                             chicken leg or thigh, bone in
20 cloves                           garlic, unpeeled
1 tablespoon                      olive oil
5 stalks                              thyme (I replaced it with 1/2 tablespoon of the dried version)
3 stalks                              scallion, chopped
2 tablespoon                      white wine or vermouth
                                          salt and black pepper to season

Method:

Heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.

In a dutch iron pot, heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sear the chicken leg on high heat, browning them. Remove and set aside.

Add in the chopped scallion, thyme and give it a good stir for about 20 seconds or so.

Place in 10 cloves of garlic, followed by the browned chicken pieces. Top with the other 10 cloves of garlic. Season with salt and black pepper.

Add in 2 tablespoons of wine (or more like I did) and swirl them around the pot.

Cover the pot and place in the oven for an hour.

Serve the dish and its gorgeous sauce with some nicely toasted sourdough or baguette. Do not forget the nicely caramelized garlic too.

Chicken and Cheese Porridge

 

I've grown sick and tired of the usual porridge with century egg, minced pork, scallop and all. Don't get me wrong, they are still very delicious to me. But I thought it would be good to try something new and novel. I've tried the popular Deonbokjuk (Abalone Porridge) in Korea, but the one that stays in my head was actually the creamy wholesome chicken and cheese porridge. Contrary to much belief that it will be pretty thick and heavy, a slight hint of cheese actually transformed a rather simple chicken porridge to something a little more...let's just say homely. As much as I would love the recipe from the shop owner, I had to improvise on my own from memory and some imagination. Somewhat different from the original that I've tasted, this is nonetheless good enough to tide me over a cold rainy day.

Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 cup                               short grain rice, rinsed and soaked for at least 30 minutes
1                                      chicken carcasse
1 piece                             chicken breast
1 small                             carrot, diced
1                                       broccoli stalk, diced
2 slices                             packet cheddar cheese

Method:

Bring the rice to boil with 2 cups of water. When the water is boiling, add in the chicken carcasse and chicken breast.

Remove the chicken breast after 5 - 10 minutes, leaving the carcasse behind in the pot. Allow the chicken breast to cool before shredding it by hand.

Allow the porridge to cook for another 30 minutes. Add in additional water if required.

Remove the carcasse and add in the diced carrot and broccoli. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Switch off heat and stir in the shredded chicken breast. Serve hot. Add in a slice of cheese to each bowl and stir thoroughly before serving.

Mum's Soya Chicken Wings

This is one of the first few recipes that I picked up from my Mum when I was young. Younger. Unfortunately I haven't been cooking this dish for ages until recently when my fridge was pathetically empty. I thank God that I still had a small packet of frozen chicken wings in the freezer compartment! 5 ingredients is all you need and trust me, you will start stocking up on frozen chicken wings for this.

Serves 2
Ingredients:

4                           chicken wings
6 cloves                garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons       dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons       light soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon      white sugar

Method:

Place 6 cloves of peeled whole garlic in a small pot big enough to hold the chicken wings.

Place the wings on top of the garlic and add in 3 tablespoons of dark soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce.

Cover with lid and place on stove on low heat. Open the lid after 5 minutes and give the wings a stir, ensuring that that the wings are evenly coated with the sauce. The wings will release some of its juices when it's cooking and if the liquid dries up slightly, pour in 1/2 cup of water and continue simmering over the stove.

Remove from heat after 7-10 minutes and mix in 1/2 tablespoons of white sugar. Remove the wings from the pot and discard the garlic. Serve hot.

Jjimdak (Korean Steamed Chicken)

Crazy me didn't had enough of Korea. I have just touched down from Seoul late last night and here I am cooking Korean food again. Well, this was my favourite dish throughout my week long holiday and have terribly regretted not going back for a 2nd round. So here I am trying my best to replicate the exact flavours in my own kitchen. Unfortunately I am not a good imitator but the dish turned out to be pretty good, according to my sister. I am not a fan of white meat and hence I chose to use only dark meat in this dish. You can use half a chicken if preferred.

Serves 2
Ingredients:

5                                    chicken wings, separated into wings and drumlets
2 tablespoons                cooking oil
6 cloves                         garlic, minced
1 tablespoon                  ginger, minced
6                                    dried chilli, cut into smaller pieces
1                                    red chilli, sliced
1                                    carrot, sliced
1 large                           yellow onions, quartered
3                                    potatoes, skinned and quartered
6                                    spring onions, cut into 2-inches long
1 tablespoon                  toasted sesame seed
200g                              cellophane noodles, soaked and drained
3 cups                            water
1 tablespoon                  sesame oil
                                      ground white pepper

Sauce:

3 tablespoons                 light soy sauce
1 tablespoons                 dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons                 oyster sauce
2 tablespoons                 sugar

Method:

Heat a skillet with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Add in the dried red chilli and fry for until fragrant, taking care not to burn the chillies. Remove the chilli and set aside.

Add in the chicken pieces and stir fry for about 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and ginger and fry for another 2 minutes.

Pour in the sauce mixture, 3 cups of water and the prepared potatoes. Bring to boil for 10 minutes.

Add in the carrot, onion and cover with lid. Boil for another 5 to 8 minutes.

Stir in the cellophane noodles and boil for another 3 to 5 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened.

Remove from heat and stir in the spring onions, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, a dash of ground white pepper.

Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and more spring onions, if desired.

Samyetang - Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup

I was craving for a nutritious and nourishing soup but have grown sick of the ubiquitous Chinese soups that I've been having. Inspired by yet another Korean drama that I've watched recently, I've decided to try out with a Samyetang - Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup recipe instead. I'm not too sure if the taste is truly authentic (the last time I tried a traditional one in Korea was a decade back) but it was  definitely slurping good.

Serves 3 - 4
Ingredients:
1                        small chicken (feet and wings removed), rinsed and pat dry
10 cloves           garlic, peeled
10                      red dates
3                        ginseng root
1/2 cup              glutinous rice, soaked for at least an hour
2 stalk               spring onion, chopped
                         salt and pepper

Method:

Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the soaked glutinous rice, 4 to 5 garlic cloves, 4 to 5 red dates and 2 ginseng root.

Place the chicken into a small pot and add in 1 litre of water.

Add in the remaining garlic cloves, red dates and ginseng root.

Bring to boil on high heat and lower heat to simmer for a minimum of 40 minutes, adding additonal water if necessary.

Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped spring onion before serving.

Chicken Mustard Salad with Broccoli and Cherry Tomatoes

Lest you think that healthy food are usually bland and tasteless, this chicken vegetable salad is here to prove that wrong! I cheated though, with the usage of a bottled mayonnaise but then again, that can be easily replaced by a bottle of light healthier version. This is a warm salad so it is best to consume right after preparation. I tried keeping it in the fridge but it just doesn't taste right.

Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 head                        broccoli florets, broken into small pieces
1 packet                     cherry tomates, halved
2                                 skinless boneless chicken thigh or chicken breast
1 cup                          mayonnaise
1 tablespoon              tarragon
1/4 cup                       grainy mustard
1 tablespoon              salt

Method:

Blanche the broccoli in salted boiling water. Strain and set aside.

Using the same water, add in the chicken and poached on low heat for about 15 minutes or until fully cooked. Strain and shred them into small pieces.

Mix 1 cup of mayonnaise with 1/4 cup of mustard and 1 tablespoon of tarragon leaves.

Serve the dressing with the blanched broccoli, cherry tomates and shredded chicken.

Happy Call Pan Recipe - Teriyaki Chicken

My mum wanted me to cook some chicken using the Happy Call Pan this evening and so I obliged with a Teriyaki chicken dish for her. I prefer to grill the chicken first before pouring in the sauce but you can always marinate the chicken in the sauce and cook it together if you wish. Easy and mess-free, she enjoyed this dish so much that she even asked for the recipe from me.

Ingredients:

1                     boneless chicken leg
1 teaspoon      salt
1/3 cup           rice wine
3 tablespoons  light soy sauce
3 tablespoons  mirin
2 tablespoon   sugar
2 tablespoon   water

Method:

Rub the chicken leg with salt all over and let it rest for about 5 minutes. Rinse the chicken using the rice wine.

In a bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of light soy sauce, 3 tablespoons of mirin, 2 tablespoon of sugar and 2 tablespoons of water.

Heat the happy call pan on a medium high heat for a minute. Place the chicken leg on the pan, skin side down. Close the pan and lock it.

Flip over after 4 minutes and pour in the sauce ingredients. Close the pan and lock it. (I open the pan a couple of times to ensure that the chicken is cooked in the sauce but that's up to you)

Flip the pan over after 2 minutes and cook for another 2 minutes. Dish up and serve with the remaining sauces in the pan.

Spanish Paella

After posting my previous entry on the Spanish orange chicken and watching an episode of travel TV programme on Spain, I couldn't resist the strong urge to experiment with a classic Spanish Paella. Unfortunately I couldn't get my hands on some saffron threads given the short time frame but the dish in my opinion, still tasted unbelievably good. I've reduced the portions significantly, however it's definitely better if you have more mouths to feed when attempting this recipe.

Serves 2 - 3

Ingredients:
1                                  chicken leg, boneless, cut into small cubes
6                                  large shrimp or 10 small shrimp, peeled or unpeeled depending on your preference
4                                  scallops or 1 squid, cut into smaller pieces
1                                  chorizo sausage, sliced
1 cup                            short-grain rice, rinsed and drained
2 cloves                        garlic, minced
1/2                               medium onion, chopped
1                                  red bell pepper, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons               olive oil
1/2 tablespoon             paprika
1 teaspoon                   dried oregano
1 teaspoon                   parsley
1                                  bay leaf
1 cup                           chicken stock or water with bouillion cube
1                                  lemon, cut into wedges
                                    salt
                                    black pepper

Method:

Place the cut chicken pieces into a resealable bag and add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of oregano, salt, black pepper and mix well. Refrigerate for an hour.

Heat a big shallow pan on medium heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add in the sliced chorizo and fry until the oils from the sausage are released. Remove and set aside, leaving the oil behind in the pan.

Add the marinated chicken and fry for about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside, leaving the oil and juices behind.

Add in 2 cloves of minced garlic, the chopped onion and saute for a minute or until the onions are soft and translucent. Add in 1 teaspoon of parsley, the chopped red bell pepper and saute for another minute.

Mix in the rice and fry for another 3 minutes or until the rice are fully coated with the oil. Add in 1 cup of chicken stock and 1 bay leaf. Bring to boil.

Lower heat to simmer. Place the prepared chicken and chorizo on top of the rice. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add in the prawns and scallop or squid and cover for another 8 minutes or until the rice is moist and fluffy.

Increase the heat to its highest for about a minute. Let the dish stand covered for 5 minutes before serving with lemon wedges. Enjoy.